Bankwest went through several incarnations in form and function, but has remained an integral Western Australian financial institution and continues to grow nationwide.

Bankwest started as an agricultural bank at the end of the 19th century, turned into a trading bank at the end of World War II, was swallowed up in merger after merger at the turn of the 21st century, and finally emerged as a fully owned subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is an important financial institution in Western Australia, and is also growing in stature nationwide. Bankwest’s credit cards come in a variety of options, many of which are compelling in comparison to other banks.

Q&As about Bankwest Credit Cards from customers

Yes. Bankwest have branches located around the country. If none is available nearby, you can use their online, telephone and mobile banking to manage your account.

Q: Will I need to change who I bank with to get a card from Bankwest?

No. You can continue to bank with your existing bank and still have a card with Bankwest. They are two separate products.

Q: Can I manage my account online?

Yes. Bankwest have a very good online banking system to so that you can check your balance, view recent transactions, see when payments are due and for how much, etc.

Q: Can I manage my account over the phone?

Yes. They have a call centre located in Australia that you can call for assistance with account management queries.

Q: Do they have a smartphone app?

Yes. The have a mobile banking app for iOS and Android.

Q: What kind of credit cards do Bankwest offer?

Bankwest offers a selection of credit cards to suit different types of cardholders, each with its own advantages, from the low rate Bankwest Breeze MasterCard to the no annual fee Bankwest Zero MasterCard. Several cards offer membership in rewards programs, such as Bankwest’s Gold and Platinum credit cards.

Q: Which of their offers has a low purchase rate?

This varies over time. Bankwest are known for running very competitive introductory offers on the purchase and balance transfer rates.

Q: I want to transfer a balance, which card is best for me?

If you want to transfer a balance from a non-Bankwest credit card, several of Bankwest’s cards at the time of writing offer introductory rates. However, just as with the low purchase rates, you should be aware of the rate after the introductory period – if you think you will still have a balance, your savings can be quickly wiped out by the subsequent high rate.

Q: I want to save on annual fees, which card should I choose?

Bankwest’s range of Zero credit cards are extremely competitive, each offering the everyday benefits of a MasterCard without the annual fee. Depending on your financial circumstances and income, you can choose between the Zero MasterCard, Zero Gold or Zero Platinum, all of which have no annual fee.

Q: What other services do they offer?

The bank offers personal and business banking services, including its Private Banking Services, Bankwest Business and Retail divisions. Other parts of the bank’s operations include housing and agribusiness services, harking back over 100 years to its original remit.

Bankwest offers transaction accounts, savings and term deposits, credit cards, home loans, personal loans, insurance, investment and financial advice. It also provides flexible funding and specialist advice to help business customers with any size of operation. Experts are available to offer help with starting a new business, restructuring an existing business, growing business finances and cash flow, and increasing working capital. The range of business products and services includes loans, accounts, deposits, credit cards, international trade, private banking and transaction services.

Q: Who is Bankwest owned by?

Bankwest started as the Agricultural Bank of Western Australia in 1895, created by the Government of Western Australia to lend money and support the state’s farmers. The company became a full trading bank in 1945, and then spent the next 50 years expanding its retail and commercial banking operations across Western Australia.

In 1990, the bank incorporated and in 1994 changed its name to the Bank of Western Australia Limited, trading under the familiar name of Bankwest. In 1995, the bank was privatised and subsequently bought by Bank of Scotland, which itself merged with Halifax Group to form HBOS in 2001. In 2009, HBOS sold the entire operation to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in a deal worth AU$2.1 billion.

Bankwest is a fully owned subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank Group that serves more than 1 million retail customers, operates 139 stores, 72 Business Banking Centres and 79 Home Loan Specialists.